MAY Let all thy joys be as the month of May. ~Francis Quarles~ Here's to the day when it is May And care as light as a feather, When your little shoes and my big boots Go tramping over the heather. ~Bliss Carman~ Hail, bounteous May, that doth inspire Mirth, and youth, and warm desire; Woods and groves are of thy dressing, Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing. ~John Milton~ The maple puts her corals on in May. ~James Russell Lowell~ Then came fair May, the fairest maid on ground, Deck'd all with dainties of the season's pride, And throwing flowers out of her lap around. ~Edmund Spenser~ Here we are in the Merry Month of May. Very early in the morning on waking, I listen to the dawn chorus, symphony of melodious flutings and twitterings. Fresh new leaves are, as yet, unchewed by caterpillars and the double white lilac, is heavy with fragrant blooms. Plants are growing apace and we're in demand. May is a time of gardening inspirations and dreams. Look around yourself and notice what your neighbours are growing in their gardens and what they are creating in their landscapes. Think of how you might utilize some of their ideas along with your own brainstorms to make your garden just a little bit better. Time to start thinking about the summer garden. If one wants to enjoy colour during the summer, spring is the time to plant out the summer flowering annuals, bulbs, perennials and shrubs. This is also the month to begin getting the lawn in shape for the summer. In fact, what you accomplish this month will greatly cut back on garden maintenance the rest of this spring and summer. BULBS, SHRUBS and TREES Pines and other conifers can be kept to a compact size by pinching off the new growth. Remove the wilting seedheads from Rhododendrons and Azaleas, so that the plants energy can go to foliage growth and next years flowers, rather than seeds. Work lime in the soil around your Hydrangeas to produce pink flowers or Aluminum Sulphate for blue. Early flowering deciduous shrubs such as Forsythias, Weigela, and Spiraea should be pruned back when they have finished blooming. Cut back a third of the oldest canes to ground level, then cut back one third of the remaining branches by one third of their height. Lilacs should be pruned lightly after they finish blooming, removing sucker growths and dead blooms. Feed lilacs in May with a good all purpose fertilizer after they have finished blooming. If your soil has an acidic pH, work a little lime into the soil as well. Break off wilting Tulip or Daffodil heads but continue to feed and care for the plants until the foliage has died back naturally. Old plantings of Daffodils may be divided and moved when they have finished blooming, but treat them as growing plants and use care to protect the foliage and roots. Water them thoroughly after transplanting. It is best not to dig or move other spring flowering bulbs until their foliage has ripened and died back. Now that frosts should be over in the south, dahlias may be planted out and bedding plants planted in the ground and in pots. Wait a little longer in the north, or take the risk. If you are going to plant out dahlia tubers, it's a good idea to put the stake in the ground before you put the plant in. Prune privet lightly this month (wait till June if its exposed). FLOWER, GRASSES AND ROSES Plant summer hanging baskets under glass, incorporating water-retaining gel into the compost to make watering easier. Leave enough space in the basket to water generously. Harden them off by hanging them outdoors on warm, still days. Hang out permanently next month, or put them out now but bring them in if frost threatens. Transplant ferns just as the crowns flex their backs and show signs of expanding. Feed potted lilies and agapanthus with tomato food. Sow seeds in nursery rows of biennials (sweet williams, canterbury bells and wallflowers), to be grown on through the summer and transferred to flowering position in autumn. In woodland gardens, seed of honesty and foxgloves scattered now will establish this year and flower next. Ornamental grasses and bamboos should be divided or transplanted now, as growth commences. Large, tough bamboos will need a sharp spade and some force. The smaller, running varieties like Pleioblastus auricoma and variegata can be cut to the ground to produce a fresh crop of striped foliage. After flowering, reduce tangled growth on clematis montana in positions where it cannot be allowed free rein. (The growth made this summer will flower next spring.) If space is tight, prune every year. If not, do it every few years. Clematis montana can be left unpruned indefinitely, but one day there will be a great big tangle to deal with. Trim over straggly winter-flowering heathers such as Erica carnea and darleyensis after the last flowers have faded. Tall herbaceous plants requiring support later should have their stakes put in now. Plant out hardened-off annual bedding plants and settle them well in with a can of water. Sweet peas can still be sown directly where they are to flower. They make a rapid seasonal covering for a less than pretty fence and coil their tendrils around chain-link with ease. Pick flowers regularly to keep them coming, they stop if allowed to go to seed. Prune early clematis, such as C. alpina, C. macropetala and C. montana types, when flowers are over, if space is restricted. If you missed sowing some annual flowers sow some now, choose evening flowers, especially if you are out all day, then you can enjoy there fragrance in the evening...fragrant night-scented stocks, white-flowered cosmos 'Purity' and annual evening primroses (Oenothera odorata), which open their brilliant lemon flowers at dusk, so that moths can pollinate them. Scatter them where you want the flowers. On summer and autumn-flowering clematis, carefully tie in to their support any long and wayward shoots. Climbing roses also need tying down, now that they are making rapid growth. The more stems grow horizontally, the better their flowering will be. For spring flowers in small spaces, less vigorous clematis such as C. alpina and C. macropetala are a better choice. They don't need regular pruning but, again, it should be done as soon as the flowers are over, if plants are straggly or top-heavy. Feed and water well after pruning. For a quick fix of magenta in small pots, troughs or window-boxes, look out for these long-flowering little gems in the alpines section of nurseries and garden centres, Rhodohypoxis baurii flowers on 4in stems among grassy foliage; deep pink forms of Erodium reichardii (like a miniature cranesbill geranium) and Armeria maritima, the sea pink or thrift. All suit gritty, free-draining potting soil and a sunny position. Mulching the soil surface with a .5in layer of grit helps to keep weeds away and shows off these plants to perfection. This is the best time to buy summer bedding plants for perking up flowerbeds and containers, as garden centers still have plenty of choice. The beautiful trumpets of morning glory (Ipomoea 'Heavenly Blue'). Soak seeds overnight, then sow 1/2in (1.5cm) deep, three per 4in pot, and keep them warm (around 68F/20C) until planting out in mid-June. They also make excellent conservatory plants if given a frame to climb over. Lily beetle is a destructive pest, well worth hunting down. The adults are quite handsome, about 1/4 in (7.5mm) long and bright scarlet. The larvae are less conspicuous, as they have the beastly habit of covering themselves with their own black faeces. Now is the time to look for them lurking among the leaves and flowerheads of lilies and fritillaries, and crush them. Dahlias, gladiolas, tuberous begonias, lilies and cannas and other summer flowering bulbs can be planted this month. Gladiolas bulbs may be planted at 2 week increments until the first of July to provide you with cut flowers until the first frost. Prune lavender and other grey-leaved shrubs to prevent straggliness. Cut back hard but always above new growth. Keep an eye on the roses. Keep them sprayed for aphids and other pests and diseases such as black spot. VEGETABLE, FRUIT and HERBS Sow seeds of sweetcorn this month in 3in pots at 17C (60F) for planting out next month. Begin to harden off home-raised outdoor tomatoes in a cold frame. May is the month for sowing most vegetables outdoors - French and runner beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower, carrots, kale, leeks, lettuce, spring onions, parsnips, spinach and turnips. Stagger the sowings so that they crop over a longer period. Make sure that wall-trained fruit trees, especially stone fruits, have had plenty of water if the weather heats up. This applies especially to trees under glass. Prune bush peaches, taking out dead wood and crossing branches, and encouraging an open centre. Sow pumpkins under glass in individual 3in pots at 65c (22F). Harden off in due course and plant out next month in richly manured land. Make a metre ring of compost around the plant so you can water generously into the cavity. On indoor tomatoes nip out the sideshoots which sprout away at the leaf joints, and keep them well fed. If the weather is kind, plant out pot-grown plants of sweetcorn, 12-18in apart in square blocks, rather than rows, to assist pollination which is done by wind and not insects. Alternatively, seed can be sown direct in the ground for a later crop. Cut down some clumps of chives, and feed and water, to keep them coming fresh from the base again. Allow some to flower, but do not let them seed. Tuck straw among strawberries to keep the fruit clean from soil splashes and to keep the soil moist. Net them to keep off the birds. Draw up extra soil around the young shoots of early potatoes. This gives the tubers underground some extra protection from light, so they don't turn green. If frost is forecast, protect the plants with horticultural fleece, or more soil. Check water needs of wall-trained fruits, especially those being grown under glass. Look out for blackfly clustering around the tips of broad beans. They are best removed by pinching off the shoot tips and squashing under foot. If you were organised enough to sow French beans last month, plant them out now, at 6in intervals, but be prepared to cover them with fleece overnight in cold spells. There are lots of tempting herbs on sale at garden centers now. If you grow them in pots, choose a sunny terrace or windowsill and plant into John Innes no 3 compost, which is free-draining and easy for roots to settle in. Look out for lemon-scented thyme 'Doone Valley', with golden foliage, and deep-crimson-flowered thyme 'Ruby Glow.' No herb garden should be without rosemary and lavender, and basil can go outdoors next month. We are really into the salad season now. Sow assorted salads every couple of weeks for continuous supplies and keep a sharp eye on their watering needs, the odd light drizzle of rain is not enough. With a little luck, you may begin to see the first fruit on your strawberries by late this month. The birds will enjoy them very much if you don't provide some protective netting over them. Newly planted strawberries should have the blossoms picked off until they become well established. Place a collar of felt around the stems of cabbage when planting out to protect from cabbage root fly. LAWN, POND and GREENHOUSE Lower the lawnmower blades to summer height and begin to cut regularly. Plant aquatic plants in ponds. Set out new pond and waterside plants, and lift out and divide large clumps of aquatics. Haul blanketweed out of the pond with a stick or rake, before it spreads enough to choke water plants and restrict swimming areas for fish. May is a good month to repair your lawn. Fill in the bare spots by slightly loosening surface of the soil and sow a good quality lawn seed over the area evenly. Tap the seed in gently and water. LITTLE EXTRA'S On days that are still, mild, rainy and dull, houseplants may be stood outside to have winter dust washed off. But bring them in again before the sun shines on the wet leaves and burns marks onto them. It's best not to do this if the weather is windy, as blasts of wind can cause plants too much stress. Pot-on overcrowded houseplants into fresh compost. It's time to have another go at weeds. Pull or hoe out seedlings, but dig out perennial weeds with a border fork and try to lift out all their roots. Aphids and other sap-sucking insects seem to be ahead of the game this year. Check shoot tips on shrubs, perennials and fruit bushes closely. If you don't want to spray aphids with chemical pesticides, either wipe them off carefully with your fingers, or hose them off with a jet of water. Instead of using terracotta pots, try using for a change...old tin cans, plant a row of decorated tins. Just right for gaudy gazanias, or windowsill collections of herbs. (Punch holes in the bottom of the cans, before planting in ordinary potting compost.) Work to eliminate the weeds (roots and all), before they have a chance to go to seed, or you will be fighting them for years to come. If the weather refuses to cooperate with your gardening plans, and your seeds have refused to germinate due to cold and wet conditions, you may want to consider replanting a reserve crop. The compost pile should be kept damp. Frequent turning will turn your garden waste into flower food much faster. Gradually remove any winter mulch and protective mounds and screens. Begin to harden off indoor-started plants. Then when all danger of frosts goes, plant out the very hardy vegetable seedlings, and annual bedding plants leave to the end of the month. Slugs and Snails, they are out in full force right now, so be sure to take steps to control them before they have a chance to ruin your garden. We all have our preffered method...but I favour beer :-). Mulch borders with manure (dry/well decayed) or compost/leaf mould. Birds have five basic needs... food, water, shelter from hot and cold weather, nesting sites, and protection from predators. Supply these and you will have many more birds around your garden to entertain you and control insect pests. Be sure bird tables and nesting boxes are located where they cannot be reached by cats. Toads are just as good for the garden as frogs, so give them a home in your garden by placing inverted, clay flower pots in a shady spot. Chip out a piece of the pot rim to give the toads a entrance to their hopeful new home. Large, plate-glass windows are apparently invisible to birds. Hang small, mobile twists of reflective ribbon or hanging baskets in front of the glass to prevent crashes Introducing your children to gardening can be a rewarding experience for the entire family. Give them a small plot of their own with full sun, good soil, and drainage. Geraniums and begonias from pots are easy for little hands to handle, and marigolds. It's a pleasant and productive way to spend time together. I have removed my guestbook for the moment, but do write to me via e-mail if you wish, would love to hear from you. Enjoy your gardening this month both indoors and outdoors. FastCounter by bCentral